What you should know when applying for the Look East Programme: South Korea

Assalamualaikum and warm greetings!

Congratulations to all the SPM candidates and a huge shout out to my juniors Zealot Boes! The main reason I am writing this post is because, when I applied for this Korean Programme, I had absolutely no idea what I had gotten into.

So, I want to shed some light on the Korean Programme to potential new juniors so that you can contemplate and decide whether this is the right road for you.

Of Hijab and Cheerleading.

Assalamualaikum and warm greetings,

It is the start of a new semester here in South Korea. Spring is slowly coming out of her shell (it's still cold but we were blessed with rain today) and Konkuk University is already buzzing with activities.

This week has been funny and hectic. I now live with two juniors who are one year younger than me. It's their first semester at Konkuk University and sometimes they would come home and tell me stories about their day, how hard it is to attend a class where the professor speaks in Korean and the class material is also in Korean, how Koreans won't even smile at them or how they feel totally left out and ignored.

Tips for Batch 14 Korean Programme

Assalamualaikum and warm greetings,

There's a lot to be happy about when new juniors start their studies in Korea. When I picked them up at the airport, I noticed the tired faces, the different expressions and emotions. Scared, excited, homesick, overwhelming, terrified, nauseous, happy and so on and so forth and I can't help but feel nostalgic when I saw them.

That was me, 2 years ago. Totally innocent, totally full of energy (although not at that moment because 6 hours in a flight can get you pretty cranky), new potentials, new explorations. Just a whole bunch of new experiences waiting to be discovered.

I personally love receiving juniors. When I look at them, I feel a new burst of energy, the passion to keep going in my studies. That was me 2 years ago, promising my family, friends, my nation that I will work hard and that all their money will pay off, that it isn't a waste to invest in me.

And to keep that spirit up, and to make staying in South Korea worthwhile, here are some things I wish I took more seriously.